Diversity Matters ? Jan 18, 2012

DIVERSITY MATTERS

Division for Equity and Inclusion

January 18, 2012

The Division for Equity and Inclusion welcomes a new calendar year full of promise as we continue the work of advancing diversity initiatives at UNM. Of course, this cannot be accomplished without the many partners that work with us throughout the year. It is the faculty, staff and students whose commitment and interest provide multiple opportunities for us to engage as a community in activities and events that help build our understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice as we strive for Inclusive Excellence. This understanding creates an improved campus climate and enhances our learning environment. Everyone gains from these experiences.

In this issue:

WPC13 – 13th Annual National White Privilege Conference

Diversity Celebration and Fundraising Dinner with Dr. Angela Davis

Provost’s Diversity Council

Lumina Grant

Men of Color Initiative/Men of Color Alliance

Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Council

ENLACE Statewide Collaborative

WPC13 – 13th Annual National White Privilege Conference

March 28-31, 2012 Albuquerque Convention Center

Intersectionality: Vision, Commitment and Sustainable Partnerships

The Provost’s Office and the Division for Equity and Inclusion are proud to be among the sponsors for this incredible conference that will provide opportunities for dialogue and greater understanding among all of our communities. This is a great learning opportunity for our faculty, staff and students. We hope there will be great representation from UNM at this conference.

The registration for WPC13 is now available online at www.whiteprivilegeconference.com. We are looking forward to hosting this national conference this year in Albuquerque. There will be approximately 2,000 participants coming together to have critical dialogue around diversity, white privilege, multicultural education and leadership, social and economic justice, and the intersecting systems of privilege and oppression.

The keynote speakers will be:

Heidi Beirich: Director of Research, Southern Poverty Law Center

Professor Kimberle Williams Crenshaw: AAPF Professor of Law at UCLA and Columbia Law School

Jane K. Fernandes: University of North Carolina at Asheville Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Mary Romero: Professor and Faculty Head of Justice Studies and Social Inquiry at Arizona State University

Charlene Teters: National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media Chair, Studio Art Dept. Institute of American Indian Arts

Diversity Celebration and Fundraising Dinner

The Division for Equity and Inclusion will hold its Diversity Celebration and Fundraising Dinner the evening before the WPC13 – 13th Annual National White Privilege Conference, on March 28th. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Angela Davis. We are expecting many participants from the White Privilege Conference to also attend, so we ask that you purchase your tables and tickets early. We expect that this year’s event will be sold-out because of the keynote speaker and because it has been coordinated in support of the White Privilege Conference. The event will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Ticket purchase for the dinner will yield a discounted rate at the conference and can also be accessed online at www.whiteprivilegeconference.com or the Diversity Equity and Inclusion webpage at https://diverse.unm.edu/diversity-celebration . Tickets are $60.00 each or a table for 10 can be purchased for $600.00. Look for more detailed announcements soon.

Provost’s Diversity Council

The Division for Equity and Inclusion is involved in providing staff support to the Provost’s Diversity Council. The Council met for an all-day retreat on January 10th which was an opportunity for Council members to engage in deeper dialogue about topics that will drive the development of the Diversity Plan. Topics covered included: 1) defining the framework for the diversity plan; 2) creating a document that will enable institutional transformation and systemic change; and 3) establishing an organizational structure to begin researching, engaging the university community and writing the plan. The Council is expected to complete writing the Diversity Plan by the end of April. There will be multiple opportunities for university community engagement and feedback. The Plan will be presented to the new president, Dr. Robert Frank, when he arrives.

Lumina Grant

The work on the Lumina Latino Student Success Grant continues. For the next six months we are in the planning stages of the grant. A Core Planning Team has been named and includes Jozi De Leon (PI), Jennifer Gomez Chavez (Project Director), Angelo Gonzales (CEPR), Lawrence Roybal (ENLACE), Jennifer Cornish (CNM), Teresa Brito-Asenap (APS), and Nancy Montaño (YDI). In addition, our Lumina appointed coach, Placida Gallegos, has led many of the efforts during the planning stage. Lumina has allowed for a local coach to be appointed. We are happy to report that Diego Gallegos, Associate Superintendent for the Albuquerque Public Schools was selected in an open nomination and review process. On January 19th the first Partnership meeting will be held at the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber. While we are still in the planning stages, we look forward to meeting with our partners to share in a dialogue about the work to date.

Men of Color Initiative/Men of Color Alliance

The Men of Color Initiative/Men of Color Alliance held a number of events last semester and events will continue this spring. Several of the participants will be traveling to Florida this spring to present about the initiative and the importance of the focus on the success of men of color on college campuses. They will also share some of their experiences. DEI staff members, Christopher Ramirez and Patrick Barrett, who have both led the initiative, will lead the Florida presentation.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Multicultural Council

For the second year, the Division for Equity and Inclusion has participated in the events of the MLKMC. Dr. Jozi De Leon serves on the board of the Council. A scholarship reception was held on January 10th and the main event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King was held on January 16th. Each year, the Division has provided funding for a scholarship that has goes to an Albuquerque High School student who will be attending college. This year’s recipient is Ujwal Chadha from Del Norte High School. Ujwal will be attending UNM next fall and plans to pursue a career in medicine. He plans to practice in New Mexico. It is great to be able to support New Mexico’s talented students. Congratulations, Ujwal!

ENLACE Statewide Collaborative

The 2012 ENLACE Legislative Internship is scheduled from Sunday, January 22, 2012 through Friday, January 27, 2012 with 10 outstanding high school students from various regions of New Mexico selected to participate in this prestigious opportunity. ENLACE Day 2012 is scheduled for Friday, January 27th at the New Mexico State Capitol with a variety of special activities planned including a partnership luncheon at 1:00 p.m. at the La Fonda Hotel. We will also proudly join our impressive Hispano Round Table (HRT) of New Mexico partners during their Annual Legislative Dinner commemorating New Mexico’s Centennial at the Santa Fe Sweeney Convention Center on Thursday, February 9th from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. for those interested in joining us for this special tribute to the Land of Enchantment.